About the Book
Winner of Best Food Literature (Canada) at the 2012 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
In this intimate guide to Alberta’s sustainable food scene, writer, poet, professional chef, and food advocate Dee Hobsbawn-Smith profiles more than seventy-five of the province’s growers and producers. Learn the A to Z’s of each producer, from Asparagus growers to Zizania cultivators, and enjoy the twenty-six original recipes, one for each type of produce.
The book also examines the ground that farmers stand on: government involvement, sustainability and the environment, animal welfare, farm labour, and organizations from Slow Food to the grassroots Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement.
An (agri)cultural examination of modern farming that offers a clear look at current government policies and sustainable growers’ best practices, Foodshed sets forth some of the issues that modern farmers face, as seen by the growers themselves.
Reviews
“As an author, an artist, a cook, a thinker . . . dee has created an important treatise on the evolution of culinary Alberta. This is a great book, as free-form and unconventional as the author herself.” —Anita Stewart, culinary activist, author, founder of Food Day Canada, and member of the Order of Canada
“In [Foodshed], along with the main dish of stories aligned with each letter of the alphabet, [Hobsbawn-Smith] has seasoned the offering with 26 original recipes. She also serves up well-researched explanations of current food issues and trends, and still manages to keep the whole meal appetizing enough that we’ll want to go out and reap the bounty of her creative A-Z harvest.” —Calgary Herald
“Foodshed is a rich encyclopedia of facts, farm-gate lore and original recipes. It’s also a politically engaging narrative in which Hobsbawn-Smith articulates the challenges and joys faced by small-scale producers in Alberta.” —The Globe and Mail
“While the stories are about Alberta growers and producers, their stories are relevant to anyone interested in sustainable eating. Foodshed is sure to take you on a journey beyond your local farmers market and into the heart of local living.” —Savour Life Magazine
“Dee has known these farmers for a long time. She has nurtured her relationships with them and it shows. Their stories are personal and real . . . But throughout all this, it is the deep connection to the land that stands out.” —Culinaire